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From: geb@cadre.ARPA (Gordon E. Banks)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Researchers get Fib-ulous results (High BP)
Message-ID: <462@cadre.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 21-Jun-85 12:34:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: cadre.462
Posted: Fri Jun 21 12:34:38 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Jun-85 06:34:28 EDT
References: <1762@aecom.UUCP>
Reply-To: geb@cadre.ARPA (Gordon E. Banks)
Distribution: na
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., University of Pittsburgh
Lines: 21

In article <1762@aecom.UUCP> werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes:
>Another clipping:
>
>    Muncie, Ind. (UPI) - Researchers thought they might be fibbing at least a
>little when they told volunteers in a study of high blood pressure they could
>lower their blood pressure just by daily monitoring.  It turned out to be the
>truth.

This is certainly correct from my experience.  Even having it measured
frequently will lower it on average.  I think much of this is due to
the anxiety generated by having any kind of test performed on oneself
which may have unpleasant consequences (being told one has high blood
pressure, for example).  Many individuals have a pressor response
to the cuff, and once they become accustomed to having their BP
taken, will lower their pressure by as much as 20 points.  This has
practical implications, as many of these people are put on antihypertensive
medications.  Do they need to be on them?  Some would say yes, since
if they have pressor response to stress, they should be treated.  I
think most would say no.